Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-12-08

an article which embraces his own labor,
to return in the payment of the increase
in price which the tariff permits, the
hardearncd compensation Of the many
days of toll.
The farmer and the Ggriculturists who
manufacture nothing, but who pay
The Iucreilsed Price Which the Tariff
Imposes
upon every agricultural implement, upon
all he wears and upon all he uses and
owns, except the increase of his focks
and herds and such things as his hus-
bandry produces from the soil, is invited
to aid in maintaining the present situa-
ton; and he is told that high duty Oh
imported wool is necessary for the bene-
it of those who have sheep to
shear, in order that the price of
their wool may be increased. They,
of course, are not reminded that the
farmer who has no sheep is by this
scheme obliged, in his purchase of cloth
ing and woolen goods, to pay tribute to
his fellow farmer as well as to the man
ufacturer and merchant; nor is any men
ton made of the fact that the sheep
owners themselves and their households
must wear clothing and use other articles
Manufactured from the wool they sell at
tariff prices, and thus as consumers must
return their share of this increased price
to the tradesman.
large proportion Of the sheep owned by
the farmers throughout the country are
found in small t1ocks, numbering from
twenty-five to fifty. The duty on the
grade of imported wool which these sheep
yield is 10 cents each pound if of the value
of 30 cents or less and 12 cents if of the
value of more than 80 cents If the liberal
estimate Of six pounds be allowed for
each fleece, the duty thereon would be 60
or " cents, and this may be taken as the
utmost enhancement of it's price to
the farmer by reason of this duty.
Eighteen dollars would thus repre-
sent the increased price Of the wool from
twenty-five sheep and $36 that from the
wool of fifty sheep, and at present values
this addition would amonnt to about one
third of its price IT upon it's sale the
farmer receives this or less tariff profit,
the wool leaves his hands charged
with precisely that sum, which in all the
changes will adhere to it, until it reaches
the consumer. When manufactured into
cloth and other goods and material for
use, its cost is not only increased to the
extent of the farmers tariff profit, but a.
futhure sum has been added for
The Profit of the Manufacturer
under the operation of the tariff laws. In
the meantime the day arrives when the
farmer finds it necessary to purchase
woolen goods and material to clothe him
self and family for the winter. When he
faces the tradesmen for that purpose he
discovers that he is obliged not only to
return in the way of increased prices, his
tariff profit Oh the wool he sold, and
which then perhaps lies before him
in manufactured form, but that he
must add considerable sum
thereto to meet further increase
in cost caused by a tariff duty on the
manufacture. Thus in the end he is
aroused to the fact that he has paid upon
moderate purchase as q result of the
tariff scheme, which, when he sold his
wool seemed so profitable, an increase in
price more than sufficient to sweep away
all the tariff profit he received upon the
wool he produced and sold. When the
number of farmers engaged in wool
raising is compared with all the farmers
in the country, and the small proportion
they bear to our population is considered;
when it is made apparent that, in the
IL
sheep, the benefit of the present tariff on
must be conceded that the increase
of the cost of living caused by
such tariff becomes q burden upon
those with moderate means and the poor,
the employed and unemployed. the sick
and well, and the young, and old, and
that it constitutes tax which, with re-
lentless grasp, is fastened upon the cloth
ing OF every man, woman and child in
the Land, reasons are suggested why the
removal or reduction of this duty should
be included in a revision of our tariff
laws. In speaking of the increased cost
to the consumer of our home manufac-
lures, resulting from a duty laid upon
imported articles of the same description.
the fact is not overlooked that competi-
ton among our domestic producers
sometimes has the effect of keeping the
price of their products below the highest
limit allowed by such duty. But it iS
notorious that this competition is
Too Often Straneled by Combinations
quite prevalent at this time, and fire.
quently called trusts, whicd have for
tyeir object the refutation of the supply
and price of commodities made and sold
by members of the combination. The
people can hardly hope for any considera~
tion in the operation of these selfish
schemes.
If. however, in the absence of such
combination, a healthy and free compe-
tition reduces the price of any dutiable
article of home production below the
limit which it might otherwise reach
under our tariff laws, and if. with such
reduced price, its manufacture continue
to thrive, 1t is entirely evident that one
tqin5 has been discovered which should
be carefully scrutinized in an effort to
reduce taxation.
The necessity of combination to main |
ain the price of any commodity to the |
ariff point, furnishes proof that some |
'ne is willing to accept lower prices for |
such commodity, and that such prices are !
and lower prices produced
~ competition prove the same thing. |
Thus, where either Of these conditions
'xist, case would seem to be presented
or an easy reduction of taxation.
The considerations which have been
presented touching our tariff laws are in
ended only to enforce an earnest recon-
nendation that the surplus revenues of
he government be prevented by the re.
luction of our custom duties and, at th,
anne time, to emphasize q suggestion
hat in accomplishing this purpose we
nay discharge double duty to our peo-